African Energy Chamber rejects Open Secrets allegations over oil and gas dealings

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) has rejected allegations concerning its executive chairman NJ Ayuk and his associated consultancy, CLG, following an investigation into the company's involvement in African oil and gas transactions.

In a statement issued on November 2, the AEC accused South African non-profit organisation Open Secrets of conducting a campaign against the chamber and the wider hydrocarbon industry. It defended its support for oil and gas development, arguing that investment in these resources remained essential to addressing Africa's energy shortages.

The response followed an October 28 publication by Open Secrets examining CLG, formerly Centurion Law Group, and its involvement in contracts with South African state-owned energy companies, including PetroSA and the Central Energy Fund (CEF).

Open Secrets reported that South Africa's Legal Practice Council had confirmed that CLG was not registered as a law firm, raising questions about its provision of legal services. This finding does not, by itself, establish unlawful conduct.

Open Secrets also examined CLG's advisory work on disputed PetroSA tenders and the CEF's acquisition of the Sapref refinery for a nominal ZAR1, despite substantial associated liabilities.

The AEC disputed the allegations, maintaining that CLG had operated lawfully. It also accused the investigators of attempting to undermine the success of African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, held in Cape Town in October. The chamber said AEW 2026 attracted more than 12,000 delegates, 150 exhibitors and 450 speakers, generating $17bn in investment commitments and agreements.

The organisation further argued that international environmental campaigners were applying inconsistent standards by opposing African fossil fuel development while industrialised countries continued investing in their own oil and gas industries.

“While elite Western activists lecture the developing world from the comfort of fully electrified grid systems, over 600 million Africans are living in severe energy poverty,” the AEC said, adding that domestic hydrocarbon development was necessary to expand electricity access, support industrialisation and attract investment.

According to Open Secrets, its investigation drew on whistleblower accounts, corporate correspondence and other documentation. Its findings raised questions about legal compliance and oversight of advisory contracts involving public institutions. The AEC's response disputed the criticism but did not resolve those questions.

“Let’s cut right through the noise. The recent western sponsored climate activist ‘investigative’ hits published by Open Secrets and regurgitated by fringe outlets are not journalism,” the AEC said. “They are a coordinated, legally actionable hatchet job engineered by radical activists who want to keep Africa in the dark.”

The dispute highlights the importance of transparent procurement and regulatory compliance in attracting investment to Africa's energy sector, says NewsBase Horizon, a dedicated intelligence and advisory division of NewsBase. Governments seeking to develop domestic resources will need to demonstrate that public contracts are properly scrutinised and that investment commitments translate into commercially viable projects and measurable economic benefits.